The long-awaited RØDE Rødelink Newsshooter Kit hit the market a few weeks ago after being announced way back in 2015. A sibling to the popular RødeLink Filmmaker Kit, the Newsshooter model offers a whole fistful of useful features – literally.
As a one-man shooter working mostly in an Electronic News Gathering, there is one thing that I demand from all my kit: flexibility. In regards to audio, you may need to tap into the audio feed of a news conference, do a quick Piece to Camera quickly followed by a live transmission, you may get an extra guest on air at the last minute, or you may need to grab some quick Vox Pops in a busy environment. These are all situations that demand different solutions and, depending on what you have available to you, could mean carrying a lot of different equipment. This is why I was keeping a close eye on the release of the RØDE RødeLink Newsshooter Kit ever since it was announced last year.
While the receiver (RX) is identical to the one in RØDE’s previous Filmmaker Kit, the RØDE RødeLink Newsshooter Kit offers a transmitter unit (TX) that works with both XLR and 3.5mm sources. This means that you can plug in a handheld dynamic mic or switch to a lavalier with the push of a button, without the need for a special TX for each microphone.
The RodeLink Newsshooter Kit is compatible with mics with XLR, TS and TRS connections.
The 3.5mm port on the TX can provide Plug-In Power, as well as 48V Phantom Power via XLR. This is great for using condenser microphones such as shotgun directional mics, meaning you can forget about the dangling XLR screwing up your boom sound. Clearly, this benefits any kind of shooting in which boom mics are used, not only newsgathering environments.
Another great feature of the RØDE RødeLink Newsshooter Kit is the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack on the TX. This allows a reporter to monitor the audio they’re capturing, for example to keep the interviewee within the pickup range of the microphone. Nice!
Micro USB and headphone ports on the TX.
I had already been working with the Filmmaker Kit for about a year before I got my hands on the Newsshooter Kit, and I was always very pleased with its sound quality. Its 2.4 GHz digital transmission technology means that you can use the RødeLink system worldwide, without having to worry about accidentally entering restricted radio frequencies. Although, in theory, this technology should exhibit dropouts in busy digital signal environments — such as a city centre with thousands of WiFi networks — I have never experienced any problems: the system automatically hops across different frequencies to find the best one.
I was happy to see that the new RØDE RødeLink Newsshooter Kit shares not only this impeccable sound quality and usable range (approximately 100m) with its older sibling, but also the incorporation of a micro-USB for powering via a standard power bank. Another great feature is the option to power the TX with a standard Sony-style NP-F battery, greatly increasing the battery life over AAs.
The RodeLink Newsshooter Kit can be powered with the AA caddy or Sony NP-F style batteries.
Unfortunately, the Newsshooter Kit also shares what I believe to be the RødeLink system’s greatest fault: size and ruggedness. The units are built out of plastic and are rather large, especially when compared to some of the competition. Don’t get me wrong, I have never had any problems with these units… But it does feel that the kind of accident that would only dent a metal unit would likely crack the RødeLink.
Rubberised corners on the corners of the RodeLink Newsshooter Kit TX
That said, the new TX on the RØDE Newsshooter Kit does feature rubberised corners which, along with the unit’s heft, gives it at least a little bit more of a rugged feel. Add to that the faux leather case and belt clip for the TX (90’s Nokia phone cover, anyone?) and it does feel like it could at least take a bit of abuse from even the clumsiest talent… But look at how big it is!
One comment about the cover, though: I was looking forward to seeing how RØDE would provide a belt clip solution, as I had seen from product images that this wasn’t integrated on the body as with the TX unit on the Filmmaker Kit. I was glad when I opened the box and saw the cover, although the clip creates a problem: it makes the 3.5mm mic port point down, meaning the lav cable has to loop back up to reach the talent. Since this could create problems when used with shorter lav cables, I think it would have made more sense to have the mic come out the top when clipped to your belt.
All in all, I am very happy with the RØDE RødeLink Newsshooter Kit. Sure, it may not be the sleekest product around, but having a flexible solution that allows you to wirelessly mic almost any situation, as well as being able to wirelessly tap into a sound desk at a press conference or event, makes this a truly versatile tool for any kind of shooting. Add to that its superb sound quality, power options, reliability and price when compared to the competition, and you can see why the RØDE RødeLink Newsshooter really is a no-brainer for one-man shooters looking for ultimate flexibility.
Have you had any experiences with the RødeLink system from RØDE? How would YOU rate it against the competition? Let us know in the comments below!

Rig accessory company SmallRig have a bundle of products specifically for the Sony FS5 at a very affordable price. Read on for my impressions of their SmallRig FS5 Kit.
SmallRig is a company based in China that specialises in producing individual pieces to build camera rigs. Rods, clamps, adapters, grips… They have just about anything you may need for just about any type of camera.
My first experience with SmallRig was just over a year ago, when building a shoulder rig for my Panasonic GH4. I knew I didn’t want to buy one of the many pre-made DSLR/M shoulder rigs available in the market, both because I had various parts already lying around and because I knew I had some very precise requirements. Ready-made products offered either too little functionality, or exceeded what I was looking in terms of features, size, weight and price.
After designing my ideal rig, I went to the SmallRig website and was pleasantly surprised to find exactly the parts I needed. Building the perfect rig for my needs went exactly as planned and came in at a very affordable price. I worked with the rig regularly for about a year, until I upgraded from the GH4 to a Sony FS5. Needless to say, I was curious to see what SmallRig would design for it.
One of the nice things about SmallRig is that they are open to co-designing products with their costumers, with free samples for contributors whose ideas that make it to the final product. One such product was the FS5 Baseplate, part of their SmallRig FS5 Accessory Kit 1861. SmallRig were kind enough to send us said Kit for review.
The SmallRig FS5 Kit
The SmallRig FS5 Kit comes with 4 accessories that try to solve some of the minor shortcomings of the Sony FS5. It is available from the SmallRig website for $186 and includes the following:
The 1796 Top Plate(s)
The SmallRig FS5 Kit includes two of these plates, which are actually two of the same product: being symmetrical, you can install them on either side of the handle.
They use the 1/4” mounting threads at the top of the camera to provide you with a solid array of both 1/4” and 3/8” mounting options which run along the side, back and front of the plates to accommodate accessories at different angles. Although the FS5 has plenty of mounting points on the body, I found that trying to attach a magic arm to the top was a bit fiddly, as the screw collided with the side of the handle. This could also be true for any accessory that has a wide mounting base, leaving you only with the hot shoe as a mounting point, or whatever other solution you may have, such as rods. The SmallRig 1796 Top Plate conveniently shifts the mounting holes out a little bit, while staying within the footprint of the camera’s width and providing a solid connection to the body via 2 screws on each side.
They are also light enough that you will barely feel the extra weight at all, and you can of course use either one or both sides as needed. One quick note: in order to mount the plate on the grip side of the camera, you first must remove the clamp for the LCD cable, as well as the sensor marker peg. The top plate has small screw holes so you can easily reposition them there instead, as in the image above.
The 1835 Male-to-Male FS5 LANC Cable
Nothing too revolutionary here, just a spare curly LANC cable for the FS5 handle with some decent length to it (up to 110cm), which is perfect for mounting the grip to a tripod arm or perhaps a gimbal. In case you hadn’t noticed, the short LANC cable on the FS5’s grip is not hardwired, but attaches via 2.5mm plug at both the camera and the grip end. Here, the LANC port is hidden behind a small plastic cover, which could potentially break if you accidentally pulled the cable too hard. Along with the LANC cable, SmallRig provides a replacement cover made of metal for extra security.
The 1831 LCD Screen Mounting Clamp Adapter
This small accessory is essentially a mini 15mm rod that pivots around a 1/4” inch screw, allowing you to move the FS5’s LCD screen in almost every direction when attached to the handle. The SmallRig version serves as a replacement to the one included with the camera, and is made of solid aluminium instead of plastic like the Sony. The little rod is also slightly longer than the original, allowing you to move the LCD screen away from the camera body a bit more if needed.
Since 90% of my work is News Gathering, I like to carry my FS5 in a backpack ready to go at a moments notice. In order to not have to remove the LCD and thus reduce setup time, I position the clamp at an angle that allows me to tuck the LCD between the handle and the lens, making it compact enough to allow me to quickly put it in my bag in one go.
However, after seeing many reports online of the little plastic part just snapping in half, I was worried of the strain this was putting on the small plastic rod. With the SmallRig solution, I am confident I can continue using this method without worrying that it might break and leave me with a hanging LCD screen.
The 1827 FS5 Baseplate
This baseplate was co-designed by SmallRig and one of their customers specifically for the FS5, and was the piece I was looking forward to trying the most. It certainly has a solid feel to it, with some nice weight without being too heavy (390g). It features grooves for a pair of 15mm rods and a ratcheting clamp at the back. The front of the baseplate offers a few 1/4″ mounting points, as well as a full-sized ARRI rosette at each side, not the smaller version that SmallRig has implemented on some of their other products.
The rosettes were the feature that interested me the most. I currently use a Lanparte Extension Arm, a very convenient accessory that allows you to reposition the control grip FS7-style, while maintaining the rotation feature of the FS5 grip. However, in order to use it, I need to rig up the camera with rods and a rod clamp with rosettes which of course adds bulk and weight.
As you can see below, the baseplate works beautifully with this setup, even causing less tension on the LANC Cable, which helps avoid an accidental disconnect. This also leaves more room for a follow focus, lens support, or other accessories on the rods themselves should the need arise.
Looking at the bottom of the baseplate, there are two included screws to attach it to the camera or quick release base and prevent twisting. However, when attaching a tripod plate to the bottom of the baseplate, I noticed that even though you have a couple of mounting points to choose from, they are all bunched close together at the back. This meant that no matter how I positioned my tripod plate, it was always too far back to keep the camera from tilting forward when set down on a flat surface. And even if not using a tripod plate at all, the rounded edges at the front of the baseplate meant the accidental front tilt was very frequent anyway.
All in all, I think the SmallRig FS5 kit is a great starting point for building an FS5 rig. For not too much money, you can upgrade a couple of the camera’s physical shortcomings (such as those plastic parts) and increase functionality without adding too much bulk and weight at all. I do feel like the baseplate could perhaps be refined a bit more, maybe with an additional row of mounting points at the front. It’s worth noting that more FS5-related products are now available for preorder, such as a lateral cheese plate for the grip side of the body, so they are certainly still listening to ideas.
What do you think of the SmallRig FS5 Kit? Are there any other products in the market that you think offer more, or at a lower price? Let us know in the comments below!

The festive season is upon us, what better way to celebrate it then cramming a B&H shopping cart filled with gear?! I’ll be doing a trio of articles over the next few days each containing 10 great products that you should have at your disposal, starting with camera kit stocking fillers.
All items are sub $100, perfect for stocking fillers if you have any baby filmmakers in the household (or simply want to hand this list over to your better half). We’ll cover the tool box and kit bags in the following two articles, but first lets get started with camera kit!
#1 Wide Open Lens Gear – $21
Wide Open Cameras don’t make many products but the niche ones they do tend to be pretty useful. Here are some very affordable and universal lens gears. With a 0.8 pitch they will fit my follow focus systems.
What I like about these is the very slim form factor, you can quite happily leave them mounted to the lens when switching to handheld operation.
#2 Convergent Design Ultra Slim BNC SDI Cable $24I never go on a shoot without a hefty supply of spare cables. Add to that spare bulbs, tape, ties etc and your ‘just in case’ bag gets pretty large. These cables are fantastic in keeping your kit small; they’re almost none existent in size.
That’s not all, these are the perfect cable for gimbal work as their ultra slim nature adds very little in persuasion to the balance of your rig.
Thick cables are a pain, they are easy to knock and can add weight to your camera rig. Keeping them slim and light will streamline your setup.
#3 Zacuto Zicro Mount $28.50These mounts work alongside 15mm rod systems (more on that further down) they bypass the need to constantly use the stock thread making the mounting/dismounting of accessories much quicker and safer.
Tired of spinning your valuable monitor around and around to get it on/off your camera? Stick one of these in the middle (plus a ZUD below) and you’re good to go.
There’s also the larger Zicro Mount with placeholders for larger accessories to limit spinning.
I use these on all my monitors and sound kit, I have a 15mm stud on the end of my boom pole permanently so I can quickly adjust my mic shock mount via the Zicro lever.
#4 Zacuto ZUD, 15mm stud $46.55
So I’m breaking the costing tier with this one but as it’s relevant to number 3 so I’ll list this next. The Zacuto ZUD is simply a short 15mm stud with female thread receiver.
You put this on the mounting side to match up with the Zicro Mount. For example the ZUD
would sit on the top of your ball head, and the Zicro mount on you monitor.
The ZUD also comes in 3/8″ thread form, what’s great about the ZUD over cheaper 15mm studs is the option of a removable male thread. You also have a tension allen on the side to help lock the ZUD in place; I’ve got many a cheaper 15mm stud stuck on accessories in the past that don’t have this feature.
#5 Tera Grand Super Slim HDMI Cable $29.50
It’s no secret, I love my super slim cables. Like the above BNC, this HDMI cable is perfect for gimbal work and keeping your camera setup hassle free.
I have a plethora of slim HDMI cables in my kit, ranging from Type A to B to C.
This particular one is type A to type, good for full size applications like the Sony FS7 and Canon EOS Cinema Line. It comes with an adaptor for micro enabling compatibility with the Sony Alpha cameras too, however for long term use of the latter camera format I’d suggest a native micro cable; a cable adaptor is one more thing to go wrong!
#6 Cinevate Universal Accessory Mount $30This has to be my favourite accessory mount to use. More versatile than a ballhead and less faff than a articulating arm.
With a 1/4″ thread on either end it’s highly compatible, mine often lives with a ZUD on one side.
It’s very strong which means it gets the nod over longer arms for me, plus with the addition of a few other accessories from Cinevate it can be used for a variety of applications.
#7 Manfrotto Nano Clamp $38.95Ah the Manfrotto Nano Clamp, second probably only to the Super Clamp (it’s bigger brother) as one of the most versatile bits of kit on set.
This thing will get you out of trouble in a lot of situations (pictured left with a ZUD). Many a time I’ve brought my monitoring accessories to a shoot to use with a hire camera, only to find there’s not a thread mounting option in sight. Enter the Nano Clamp, it’ll mount to anything with a diameter up to 35mm.
You’ll find me using this to attach accessories to various different broadcast cameras (with top handles) and tripod pan handles.
It has both a 1/4″ and 3/8″ thread on the top for versatility, the one I’ve linked comes with a male adaptor thread also to get your started.
#8 Manfrotto 492 Micro Ball Head $59.88I’ve used a tonne of micro ball heads in my time and this one is definitely the best I’ve come across.
Micro ball heads usually follow with a retainer of being unstable and taking a small amount of weight; this one is a tank in comparison.
All other micro ball heads I’ve owned have deteriorated over time, I have a handful of these, the first of which purchased nearly 5 years ago and they’re still going strong.
The 492LCD version comes with a hot shoe mount attached. You can convert this back to a 3/8″ later down the line, but the 1/4″ to 3/8″ thread adaptor often becomes stuck inside proving hard to remove.
#9 Wooden Camera Nato Lock Kit $79
This kit works in the same principle to the Zacuto ZUD and Zicro mount, it sits between accessories and their mount to make them much quicker and safer to attach/remove.
This may appeal more to some (over the 15mm stud) as the nato rail is scalable in length; you have the ability to have a much wider base for a variety of setups.
You could place a Nato rail the length of the bottom of your monitor or the top of your camera giving you variable mounting points for your accessory.
It’s less universal than a 15mm rod however, I’m surprised on a regular basis on what a 15mm stud/rod is compatible with.
Good example of this would be my Cinevate Hedron Slider, there’s a 15mm hole on one end that when couple with a light stand with ZUD on top it made the perfect additional support that is quick to adjust.
You’ll seldom get these surprises with the Nato lock kit; it has wide universal support but less stuff ‘just so happens to have’ Nato support. Pick which system will likely work better for you.
#10 Redrock Rhino Mount $99
The Redrock Rhino Mount is perfect for adding 15mm rail support whilst keeping your camera setup small.
For small and compact setups, accessories that require rail support like a follow focus system can be off putting as much by the presence of a baseplate than by the accessory itself.
The Rhino Mount comes in a range of lengths and utilizes the hot shoe on the top of your camera, keeping a setup with rail support as small as it can physically be.
This is a great tool for use with gimbals (if you don’t need the hot shoe for a top cage) when you want to keep the setup small a light. Other setups like helmet cams, lightweight jibs etc will benefit too where you need rail support for your accessories but don’t want the added size & weight of a big baseplate.
That’s my top 10 stocking fillers for camera kit, next up will be my favourite products for your tool box and kit bag.
As it’s the first article here’s a bonus number(s). Every operator should have an odds and sods bag filled with those get out of jail free items when you’re down to the wire and you can’t get A attached to B.
Never mind the chocolate money or the candy canes in that stocking, good old nuts and bolts are much more fun!
I have a pouch filled with threads, screws bolts and spigots just in case, I respect any other operator far more who has carries the same. Here’s a list of odds and sods to get you started:
Male 1/4″ to 1/4″Male 3/8″ to 3/8″Male 1/4″ to 3/8″Female 1/4″ to Male 3/8″Female 3/8″ to Male 1/4″1/4″ to 3/8″ Thread adaptorDouble End Spigot with 1/4″ and 3/8″ Thread

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Here are two very nice products by a company that makes great stuff for the low budget. F&V manufacturers some great led lights and they are among the few companies that I know actually manufacture their stuff themselves and they have their own US and EU store.

The Half Inch Rails carmount kit is a 3-point mounting kit for car interior or exterior shots made for small cameras like dslr’s.
The advantage of this kit is it’s lightness and sturdyness and the fact that you can get a mounting point some inches away from the surface with the hir rods.
We don’t know how sturdy this rig really is